Monday Morning Mixtape 025: This Blog Is Not a Political Blog

Welcome to Monday Morning Mixtape, a PoYB Contributor-curated playlist of songs, made just for you at the start of each week.

"This Blog Is Not a Political Blog"

Just pick a few good songs about these completely arbitrary subjects, chosen randomly: frozen water; pork; peace; civil liberties; state violence; standing up for what you believe in

chosen by Joe

Spotify

YouTube

"Cosmic Cowboy" by SUSTO

from & I'm Fine Today, 2017

Cops live in the suburbs, and every morning, the come into your city and look around like trapped rats and try to gnaw out of the cages, those of their own design, that they entered willingly because they have sharp teeth and they bite in desperation. If they are the rats, then those rats view you, the citizens that they are ostensibly hired to protect, as the scraps of garbage at the bottom of the trash can. They don't protect, they consume. They will shoot you dead if you look at them funny. Listen to SUSTO, and scream what they're always screaming.  —Joe


"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil-Scott Heron

from Pieces of a Man, 1971

Immigrants face so much bullshit—xenophobia, exploitation, and cultural displacement. I remember seeing a comedian talk about this in the summer of 2017, and he was like, "You want to support us? Fuck an immigrant. We need it. It's rough out here. It'll make us feel better." And I had that line in mind the night I ended up meeting the person I'd eventually marry as I took him back to my place. So that's my summer advice to you. Be a good American, fuck an immigrant. Maybe you'll find a love of your life along the way.  —Gloria

"I Saw Her in the Anti-War Demonstration" by Jens Lekman

from Oh You're So Silent Jens, 2005

(original version only available on YouTube)

I wonder if it would be possible to fall in love at a peace demonstration. It's a nice story that our boy Jens tells, but I wonder, in a hypothetical way, if it could actually happen. Is anyone in that mindset when they are marching with signs and yelling slogans? Can you do that and still be open to love? Or are the circumstances that cause the protest in the first place too heavy to allow any room for that kind of thing? If I'm marching on the highway, I'm pissed, and I'm probably not in the mood to flirt. But I guess you never know. This is all idle daydreaming. I'm just typing whatever. Mainly because I don't want every blurb to be about how I hate cops.  —Joe


"Archie, Marry Me" by Alvvays

from Alvvays, 2014

When I looked at my outfit in the mirror today, I started thinking about the time I put together the binder of evidence for my spouse's citizenship interview. Our lawyer had said, "They just want to see you two in different places, different outfits, that kind of thing." Which sounded easy—until I realized that almost every photo of us from the past five years had me in a navy top and jean jacket and him in a black t-shirt. I spent hours on this binder, and they hardly looked at it. At the interview, the immigration officer began asking me detailed questions about our two wedding ceremonies—one Catholic, one Hindu—and, in particular, about the Catholic one. I was a little overwhelmed, mostly because I'm not super religious, and suddenly felt like I was on a pop quiz I didn't study for. I think she saw that I was getting tense, and she said, "This isn't part of the interview—I'm Muslim and engaged to a Catholic, and his priest won't let us plan a ceremony in his church." And just like that, the mood shifted. I relaxed and said, "Oh, yeah! Hang on, let me give you Father Sean's email."  —Gloria

"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)" by Beastie Boys

from Licensed to Ill, 1986

Is this song about rebellious teenage immaturity? Or is it about flipping the bird to "The Man" and celebrating freedom? That was a rhetorical question, but this a real question for any readers: which song would you say is the definitive Beastie Boys song? This song is a likely contender, but I feel like you could also say "Intergalactic" or "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" could be the pick. Maybe "Sabotage"? Either way, I'm curious if any Beastie Boy aficionados want to weigh in.  —Batts


"Peace Somehow" by Avi Kaplan

from Move Our Souls EP, 2025

When I lead the prayer services at synagogue—hell, when I sing songs at the Friday night table—I tend to start with a key that's too low. If my brothers are there, they smile knowingly at each other. No one knows how to pick the right key. That's just the way it is. Avi Kaplan can't help it. He has a deep voice and there's nothing he can do about it. He would be bullied by the egalitarian set who just wants to sing along to Peter, Paul & Mary songs.  —Zach

"Know Your Rights" by the Clash

from Combat Rock, 1982

I saw a video one time that made an impact on me. It's a funny video because it involves Michael Rapaport yelling "shut the fuck up!" a lot. But it's a good video because there's truth here. You don't need to talk to cops. You don't need to do anything but be polite and decline to answer and then shut the fuck up. You have rights. Know your rights.  —Joe


"Immigraniada (We Comin' Rougher)" by Gogol Bordello

from Trans-Continental Hustle, 2010

"We comin' rougher every time!" sounds like both a warning and celebration of the strength and resilience that immigrants have. The frontman for Gogol Bordello, Eugene Hüntz, was about fourteen when his family fled Ukraine following the Chornobyl disaster, and spent several years in refugee camps before moving to Vermont in 1992 as political refugees. He brings that background with him by blending Eastern European folk with punk in most of Gogol Bordello's discography.  —Gloria

"Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine

from Evil Empire, 1996

I don't specifically know what this song is about, but I assume it has somehow to do with state violence. I'd like to see Rage duet with a sweet innocent young singer like Mette Lindberg. Wait, was that reference not hipstery enough for you? I miss the days where hipsters were fair game to make fun of. Now everyone drinks PBR unironically and rides bikes because it's practical.  —Zach

"Ice Cold Pool" by Wallows

from Nothing Happens, 2019

I am afraid of entering cold water. I always have been. I take one step at a time. It's the worst when it gets to the nether regions. That's when it starts to feel scary. You're supposed to jump in but then I get scared. But the water laps against your stomach and at that point you are left with no choice. At various points in my life, I've taken cold showers, a la Wim Hof. I've taken cold ice baths. I've come out the other side. It does make me feel alive. It doesn't mean I'm not scared of it.  —Zach

"Ice Monster" by Minus the Bear

from Planet of Ice, 2007

I feel like I'm living in a fucking nightmare when I think about ICE. How did secret masked police in America become normalized? How? How? It's fucking insane. Imagine that large masked men pulled up in a van and kidnapped you. That is happening all over America!! What the fuck?? What can we do about this. I'm not just saying this, I'm sincerely asking. What can we do???  —Joe


"Knights of Bostonia" by State Radio

from Let It Go, 2009

I've always liked this song—it's got the spirit of youth and rebellion (and hometown pride if you happen to be from Boston; I am not). There is something about the lyrics, "Only you can set you free." It serves as a powerful reminder that true liberation originates from within. No one can define your worth, your path, or your power except you.  —Gloria

"Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice

from To the Extreme, 1990

When I was around fourteen, my oldest sister's (23 at the time) boyfriend was deported. He had come here from Brazil and overstayed his work visa. They had a peculiar relationship, as he spoke English poorly, and she was learning Portuguese as they went. I remember asking her about it, and she just said that talking wasn't that important to them, haha. She visited him in Rio for a long weekend after he was deported (and didn't tell my parents about it until years later), but they soon lost touch. I guess it's tough to keep a long-distance relationship going—especially if the physical part was the main allure in the first place.  —Gloria

"All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!" by Sufjan Stevens

from Michigan, 2003

Maybe by the time this mixtape is posted, there will be an update to this news, but as of this writing, there's a good chance that the Philadelphia blue-collar union DC-33 is going to be striking next Tuesday. I'm here on my knees praying this happens. I'm not saying that it's the best-case scenario—that would be my union brothers and sisters getting a fair contract with fair wages—but it's a great scenario because it would (again) expose Philadelphia Mayor C. P. as the fraudster that she is. Did you know that she and her staff gave themselves huge raises pretty much right away? But trash collectors and 911 dispatchers are out here left to fucking rot? Fuck that asshole. STRIKE.  —Joe


"Fight the Power" by Public Enemy

from Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

The first time I watched Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing was during my junior year of college. In that movie, Bill Nunn's character, Radio Raheem, blares this song on his boombox in every scene he appears in. One of the most memorable scenes in the film features Radio Raheem putting his own spin on a speech by Robert Mitchum's character from the film The Night of the Hunter, where Nunn's character details the struggle of "love" vs. "hate," and how the balance between them in society ebbs and flows throughout history. Not to turn this music blurb into a film blurb, but Do the Right Thing, in my opinion, is still a relevant piece of cinema.  —Batts

"What It Means" by Drive-by Truckers

from American Band, 2016

Here's my theory, and you can take it as you will. If you own and carry a gun around, you're a fucking coward. You're a fucking pussy-ass coward, a scaredy cat. Afraid of your own shadow. You're a fucking sniveling fucking coward if you have a gun. It's definitive proof that you're a fucking wimp. There are no exceptions. None. If you own a gun and are reading this now, I am telling you: you are not the exception. You are a coward. The only way to prove that you have courage is to get rid of your gun. That's it. The only way.  —Joe

"Year of the Pig" by Fucked Up

a single in their Zodiac series, 2008

Fuck, man, who am I even writing these blurbs for. Doesn't feel good to type angrily. Doesn't feel fulfilling. I am achieving nothing. I'm a fucking internet tough guy, shouting into the void. Preaching to the choir, embarrassing my peers. For now, I'm just some blogging slime, no merit. Maybe one day I will need to take a stand. I hope that I find the courage in that moment. Until then, I'm just typing my little worthless words and filling out some blurbs and listening to some music, achieving nothing of note. ACAB.  —Joe

NEXT WEEK: "This Blog Is a Political Blog" — Be a good patriot and give us some songs to celebrate the birthdate of our nation (chosen by Joe)